[BCNnet] state wildlife plan approved

[bobolnk at ix.netcom.com]

I'm passing along an announcement from the IDNR about its comprehensive wildlife plans.  This is one of the few "good news" items for us coming out of state and federal government these days - congratulations to Jeff and all the other participants.

This is a press release so please forward it to newsletter editors. It has some interesting stats and good quotes.

Judy Pollock 
Evanston 
bobolnk at ix.netcom.com


Illinois Department of
Natural Resources	                  Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor
One Natural Resources Way ÿ Springfield, Illinois 62702-1271	                            Joel Brunsvold, Director			
http://dnr.state.il.us 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE				CONTACTS:  Melaney Arnold
October 31, 2005						Communications Manager
								(217) 588-0500 (office)
								(217) 836-6438 (cell)
 													
ILLINOIS PLAN TO CONSERVE WILDLIFE, NATURAL AREAS ACCEPTED

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.  - The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, the product of a two-year effort by scientists, sportsmen, conservationists and other members of the community to conserve and enhance the state's wildlife, has been accepted by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Joel Brunsvold announced today. 

All states and territories agreed to develop a Wildlife Action Plan and submit it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by October 1, 2005, as a condition of accepting State Wildlife Grant Program funding for non-game conservation.  Thanks to more than 150 agencies and organizations that assisted in developing the document, the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan is among the first ten to be accepted nationwide.
	
"Illinois has tremendously valuable land and water," said Brunsvold.  "As we use these resources for housing, agricultural production and economic development, it is important to consider how we are going to conserve our wildlife and natural areas for future generations to enjoy.  A pro-active plan will be more cost-effective than waiting until wildlife becomes more rare and more difficult to protect."  

The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan identifies goals for fish and wildlife conservation, and priority actions to address problems affecting wildlife.  A committee of Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff and representatives from The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Audubon Society, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited provided oversight of the planning process.  The Department of Natural Resources has welcomed public participation through workshops and other opportunities to review the draft action plan.

"The Illinois plan considers the unique natural resources, historic trends and public interests of the state," said Robyn Thorson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director.  "The Service was pleased to participate in the development of the Illinois plan by identifying key, natural resources at our national wildlife refuges, as well as trust responsibilities, such as migratory birds.  We now look forward to continued partnership with Illinois, to help address priority actions identified in its plan."

"The cooperation of many agencies, the agricultural community and conservation organizations in putting together the action plan has been encouraging," said Jeff Walk, a research scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, who coordinated the development of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan for the IDNR.  "We all recognize that healthy wildlife populations, functioning natural systems and clean water go hand-in-hand with our own health and quality of life.  It's worth the investment."

Wildlife-associated recreation generates nearly $4 billion in economic activity in Illinois each year.  Fishing and hunting provide about 40 million days of recreation, with a value of more than $2.5 billion.  Non-consumptive activities, such as bird watching and photography, generate about $1.3 billion in economic activity and support more than 13,000 jobs.

Details on the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan are available on the IDNR web site at the following link:  http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/Wildliferesources/theplan/